Day Fourty-Two – Bring on the Blu

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As the world continues to crumble around us, so does the land of myth and movies.

Studios are worried about the new direction the movie business is heading into. With former audiences’ time being shared between so many new mediums, the film business is beginning to lose the stranglehold it once had over your wallet.

Expect to see Disney DVDs and Blu-ray on store shelves sooner than usual.

Though Avatar has seen record-shattering success and the box-office as a whole has seen increase in gross revenue, somehow the business is in trouble. Apparently, ticket sales are down, and Disney’s latest announcement is making theatre-owners shake in their sticky, soda-lathered boots.

Disney wants to close the gap between the theatre and the DVD. Starting with Alice in Wonderland, you’ll see the DVD on store shelves within 12 weeks, rather than the customary 16 weeks.

Is this really going to stop anyone from going to the theatre?

I think it might. I can tell you from my experience, I was going to see The Blind Side this weekend in theatres, but now that I’ve discovered it’ll be released on DVD on February 23rd, I’ve decided to wait for it.

I’m still going to the theatre though, so that isn’t a problem for the AMC I frequent.

People don’t go to the movie theatre just because the movie isn’t readily available on DVD. People go to the movies because it’s a night out. It’s something to do to get yourself out of the house. A DVD is counter-productive in that respect.

Theatres need to focus on the main reason people stray away from the theatre, and that’s the experience. Older crowds don’t want to be in a screening packed with teenagers who are too distracted by their cell-phones to actually sit through a movie. At the same time, younger crowds want to be able to continue their social experience within the screening, regardless of who is trying to watch the movie.

Some theatres have VIP screening rooms, but they are at a premium. When a single viewing of a film costs as much as a Blu-ray would, I’ll usually end up waiting.

The tightening of the DVD window may be a problem for the few that would rather watch it at home. Theatres should worry more about making the case for watching a film on the big screen, rather than whining about Disney trying to take advantage of any hype it’ll generate in theatres.

I prefer a theatre, but if I get priced out of my seat, at least I know the Blu-ray will follow close behind.